BIBB President Esser: "The German vocational education and training system is not easily copied."

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) pays tribute to the significance of the dual vocational education and training system in the battle against youth unemployment. A belated insight, thinks education expert Friedrich Esser. Friedrich Hubert Esser has been heading the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training in Bonn since approximately two and a half years.

Mr Esser, for many years the Italian Dottore carried more weight in the OECD statistic than did a German trained assistant. How come the organisation has changed its mind just now?

In Germany, we are grateful that our arguments in favour of greater recognition of the dual vocational education and training system compared to academic education now have at last been embraced after all these years. This change of mind was long since overdue. It finally has sunk in that vocational education and training, together with strong small and medium-sized enterprises and the crafts, contributes to the fact that Germany has the lowest rate of youth unemployment in the whole of Europe.

What benefit do such international statistics still have?

I find I am indeed very critical, if the assumption is made that only academic qualifications in a knowledge-based society can yield further competitive advantages. In the European context, we need to solicit understanding also for other systems, which promote qualifications that are of relevance to the employment market. It has taken quite a while, but this is a good start.

But, to mention just one aspect, does an academic not earn more than a trained assistant?

No, this need not be so. A trained assistant holding a university entrance qualification, who has in addition completed a continuing education course for professional advancement, for instance, a business administrator, has by all means similar or even the same prospects of remuneration as does an academic.

The dual vocational education and training system has grown to become a miracle remedy in the battle against youth unemployment. Is it capable in the first place to pay justice to the great expectations in Southern Europe?

I can only give a word of warning to those, who think that our system can be simply transferred like for like. After all, the problems encountered by those countries derive not only from the education system, but also from the employment market. It is equally important to introduce economic impulses, which help to generate work for the businesses again; also, it is important to think about how to get the strongly school-based vocational education sector to interact more closely with the businesses.

What are the requirements for introducing such a system?

Good trainers play a pivotal role; they must be capable of implementing the vocational education and training programme. Moreover, in Germany we benefit from a high degree of industry self-organisation that has grown over centuries. Social partners and chambers are well used to maintaining high standards. Are there such stakeholders taking an interest also in other countries? And are they capable of, for instance, carrying out final examinations under observation of standards of country-wide validity? This is where in some countries a delicate approach is required and where one might want to start first with internships, for example, in order to develop a dual vocational education and training system.

How long does this process take?

Such an undertaking requires many years. One must not believe that such structures can be built within a short period of time.

Amongst other states, you already co-operate with Spain and Italy. How far have these countries progressed as yet?

These countries are on a positive path forward. They have changed the legal framework conditions and thereby have upgraded vocational education and training. This is an important signal. Together, we now try, for instance, to achieve successful co-ordination between schools and businesses in everyday life. In Germany, this is fully developed and works automatically, whereas in those countries, such processes need to develop first. We also carry out projects in areas such as tourism and the food industry, so that small businesses in particular are given the opportunity of gathering experience in order to be capable of providing their own vocational training.